John Cahill, McCann Healthcare's group president for Japan and regional director for Asia-Pacific, explained that the agency's principal task would be to mobilise the medical community to employ the drug by building endorsement among key opinion leaders, a process he expected to take between six to twelve months.
Cahill said that while the medication was not exclusively for women, it was especially suitable for female patients and was designed to avoid certain side effects common to similar treatments for the condition. He added that although the drug had been in use for 12 years in numerous other markets, a culture of protectionism towards domestic producers and a widespread belief in the unique nature of Japanese physiology sometimes led to delays in the introduction of international treatments to the country.
Separately, specialist pharmaceutical company Allergan is to work with the agency in Singapore and Taiwan to promote the uptake of BIB, a satiety-inducing product designed to combat morbid obesity.
According to Cahill, the adoption of a sedentary, westernised lifestyle is leading to a pronounced increase in life-threatening cases of obesity among both adults and children across Asia. He noted that dietary control failed in around 80 per cent of morbidly obese people.
McCann will reportedly work with Allergan to introduce BIB to consumers, and to alert doctors as to their role in detecting the onset of a chronic condition among patients.
Cahill was unable to comment on the value of the accounts for the agency.
